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Eight players to watch in the FIFA World Cup

Argentina's Lionel Messi gestures during his warm up during a friendly football match against Slovenia at La Plata stadium in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 7, 2014 in preparation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil to be held between June 12 and July 13.Photo: ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP/Getty Images

Still only 26, the tiny genius seems to have been around forever, such is the scope of his achievement. After enduring a season of injury, uncharacteristic criticism, trouble with the taxman, bickering with media, there are questions being asked. A poor season by Messi? Is there such a thing? In context … maybe. By Messi’s galactic standards, perhaps.

In actuality, though, the numbers remain staggering: 28 goals in 29 La Liga matches, eight in the Champions League and another five in the Copa del Rey.

Now captain of La Albiceleste, if the world’s finest player can lead Argentina to the ultimate glory for the first time in 36 years all the conjecture about a slight drop-off in quality and those perceived troubles at Barcelona will be forgotten. It remains, of course, the one gaping hole in a virtually unparalleled career, the single missing piece that lifted Diego Maradona from superstar to deity in his home country.

MESUT OZIL, midfielder, Germany

Much of the onus for finally delivering on this German generation’s vast potential lies with the pop-eyed string-puller who conducts the orchestra from the middle of the park. If Bastian Schweinsteiger can be considered his country’s engine room, Ozil is the perfect complement as its brain centre.

There were certainly struggles during Ozil’s first season in England with Arsenal, but his quality is undeniable. During their time together at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho said: “Ozil is unique. There is no copy of him — not even a bad copy. He is the best No. 10 in the world.’’

He ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as Germany’s top scorer with eight goals.

NEYMAR, striker/winger, Brazil

The heir apparent. The chosen one. A talent so beguiling, a potential so vast, that 200 million Brazilians are anticipating this summer to be as much a coronation as a football tournament.

For a 22-year-old, the scrutiny on Neymar da Silva Santos Junior has become near-obsessive, the expectations pulverizing. His move to Europe and the first season sporting the world-renowned Barca brand has been, in truth, spotty but at home, wearing the famous canary yellow, many expect him to ascend the throne. His performances during last summer’s Confederations Cup-winning campaign certainly whetted the appetite for this summer’s main course.

Scroll back a dozen years to Yokohama, Japan, when the icon of a previous generation, Ronaldo, laid waste to Germany hopes by scoring twice as Brazil lifted the Cup for the fifth, and last, time. He is only one of many who thinks young Neymar can scale the heights.

“Logically,’’ Ronaldo reasoned recently, “Messi is better right now but Neymar is a great talent who will show the world in time that he will be No. 1.’’

No time like the present.

Brazil’s Neymar takes part in a training session of the Brazilian national football team at the squad’s Granja Comary training complex in Teresopolis. (VANDERLEI ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images)

ANDREA PIRLO, midfielder, Italy

The parallel between Andrea Pirlo and a lovely glass of Arduo IGP Montenetto is fairly obvious. So it should come as no surprise that the Juventus puppet master also runs his family vineyard, Pratum Coller, just outside his hometown of Brescia, that produces between 15,000-20,000 bottles a year.

The family motto, on every label, is Non nisi per ardua — Not without effort. That, too, only makes sense.

If boy lunatic Mario Balotelli is receiving the lion’s share of pre-tournament Azzurri buzz, Pirlo, the man who made the deep playmaking role his own, remains the Azzurri’s beating heart. No one specializes in dead balls like Pirlo. No one — at least outside of Spain — runs the show like Pirlo. Even having just turned 35, that still-hard-to-get-used-to thatch of beard hanging off his chin, he is the Azzurri opponents fear most. The safe cracker, ready to rob them of their jewels. Some spring may be gone from the legs but the mind ticks on as infallibly as ever.

As he wrote in his recently published autobiography: “After the World Cup in Brazil, I’ll retire from international football. I’ll be hanging up my heart.’’
And Italy, its soul.

LUIS SUAREZ, striker, Uruguay

That noted contrarian Jose Mourinho’s arguments aside, Luis Suarez was indisputably the Barclays Premier League’s player of the year and is quite probably the world’s most in-form striker heading to Brazil.

His 31 goals for Liverpool in 33 matches were 10 more than anyone. And he isn’t even the Merseysiders penalty-taker!
Combined with PSG’s prolific Edinson Cavani, the Uruguayans boast arguably the most potent 1-2 attacking punch in the tournament.

“The speed of thought he has,” Norwich ’keeper John Ruddy told ESPN back in February when asked what makes Suarez so special. “He’s taking shots that people wouldn’t take in a million years and he’s pulling them off, making people look stupid.

“You sort of stand there and think: ‘What’s just happened?’”

ARJEN ROBBEN, winger, Netherlands

Still, at 30, the focal point of the Oranje, beaten finalists four years ago in Johannesburg, the elusive winger will once again be a major player for Louis van Gaal’s ambition to finally bring a World Cup title to the Netherlands.

One of the cornerstones of Bayern Munich’s historic treble-winning side of 2013, Robben is a player capable of creating a moment of brilliance out of virtually nothing, not shy about taking on defenders 1-on-1 and even if he does go to ground a bit easily, his trademark runs — cutting inside from the right — are every bit as vital to the Dutch as Robin van Persie’s poaching ability.

CRISTIANO RONALDO, striker/winger, Portugal

CR7. The reigning Ballon d’Or recipient. The most famous footballer on the planet at the moment. And, Leo Messi partisans dissenting, the best.

Earned, according to France Football, $55.9 million dollars in salary and endorsements last year. Dating Russian supermodel Irina Shayk. New holder of the Champions League seasonal goals record.

Ronaldo’s stunning four-strike master class in seeing off Sweden in Portugal’s two-legged World Cup playoff qualifier made his intentions for Brazil known to all. Arguably no nation’s hopes at this tournament are so tied to the form of one player.

Deliverer of the now legendary line: “Some fans keep booing and whistling at me because I’m handsome, rich and a great player. They envy me.”

A touch of arrogance? Certainly. But admit it, the man has a point.

Andres Iniesta of Spain competes for the ball with Richard Menjivar of El Salvador during an international friendly match between El Salvador and Spain at FedExField on June 7, 2014 in Landover, Maryland. (David Ramos/Getty Images)

ANDRES INIESTA, midfielder, Spain

The nickname El Ilusionista (The Illusionist) simply could not be more suited to him. He is football’s answer to Ordonez or Dominguin — Spain’s pre-eminent torero of the period.

Now 30, there is no perceptible drop-off on his influence on Le Roja. Scorer of the World Cup-winning goal four years ago, Iniesta is the epitome of big-match performer if there ever was one. Nearly as adroit as his collaborator Xavi in spraying the ball around to others, Iniesta also presents another danger; he’s keen to take on defenders, skip past tackles, slalominto the box and can score spectacular individual goals.

Many viewed Brazil’s 3-0 dismantling of Spain in last summer’s Confederations Cup finale as an irrevocable change at the top, but now familiar with what to expect in South America, only a tonto (Spanish for ‘fool’) would so lightly dismiss The Illusionist’s continuing powers to amaze.